


Telling Tales of Things to Come

by galaxysoup



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Community: writerinadrawer, Episode Tag, WriterInADrawer 4.05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-08
Updated: 2010-07-08
Packaged: 2017-10-10 11:17:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/99161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxysoup/pseuds/galaxysoup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Torchwood is built on secrets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Telling Tales of Things to Come

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Writer in a Drawer round 4.04. The prompts were:
> 
> Prompt: Phone Calls to the Grave. A Torchwood member finds a phone/mobile that will let them call anyone, from any   
>  time past, present or future. Who do they call first and why?  
>  Added Element: An acronym (NCIS, USA, MMR shot...) (and if you need to explain what it means, those words DO count in   
>  your word count, and no you can't stick them in the notes sections)  
>  Word Count: 500
> 
> The challenge's home is here, if you're curious: http://community.livejournal.com/writerinadrawer.

The Torchwood archives, Gwen thinks, are partway between a mad scientist's laboratory and the vaults of some ancient history museum. In between the antique wooden display stands holding relics from both Earth and alien cultures are complex pieces of machinery and jars of specimens floating in murky liquid, all painstakingly cataloged. With his neat three-piece suit and battered clipboard, Ianto looks like he could have wandered in from almost any point in Torchwood's history.

Gwen trails along behind him as he does his inventory, fingering the yellowing typewritten labels and the even more faded handwritten ones. She's never spent much time in the archives - they were always Ianto and Tosh's territory - but now that Tosh and Owen are...

Since John Hart blew up Cardiff, they've all been sticking closer together.

"What does 'GTWT' mean?" She asks, curiosity piqued by a passing label. The box sloshes as she pulls it forward.

"'Green Things With Teeth'," Ianto says, gently taking it away. "If you can't remember the code you shouldn't touch, Gwen."

"Sorry." She smiles and puts her hands behind her back. "There are really so many Green Things With Teeth that they need their own acronym?"

Ianto just laughs. _Archivist's humor,_ Gwen thinks fondly, and lets it go.

Footsteps in the corridor behind them announce Jack's arrival. Gwen glances at her watch. Jack's right on schedule - an hour seems to be the longest they can go without checking on each other, lately.

"Evening, kids!" Jack says, all bright eyes and sparkling smile. "I'm starving. Are you starving?"

"Sure," Gwen says, playing along. "Ianto, your mobile's on the Uncatalogued Artifacts table, yeah?"

Jack touches her arm as she walks by, and then goes to drape himself over Ianto's shoulder. Gwen hides a smile - they really are too sweet.

She grabs the mobile and dials from memory.

"Take care of Jack for me," Ianto's voice says, and the phone goes dead.

Puzzled, Gwen tries again.

"Gwen," Tosh's voice says. "You need to look after Jack."

Gwen feels herself go cold with shock. She must have cried out, because Jack comes running.

"Tosh was on the phone," she explains, numbly.

Jack frowns and flips the phone over. "Ah - see the logo on the back? Bellonian tech. It'll call anyone who's died, in the past, present, or near future. _Very_ illegal."

"In the future?" Gwen blurts, panicked. "But - "

Jack's gaze sharpens with worry. "Was there someone else, too?" His hand tightens on her arm.

_Take care of Jack._

"Just Tosh," she lies. "Why would anyone want to ring someone who hasn't died yet?"

Jack's expression clears. "Glitch in the programming. I don't think they ever managed to fix it." He cups her face with one warm hand. "I'm sorry. I'll put it in the secure archives."

* * *

  
Gwen watches Jack package up the mobile.

"What's 'RFC' stand for?" She forces herself to ask.

"'Really Fucking Creepy'," Jack says cheerfully, slapping on a label. "Archivist's humor, go figure."

Gwen shivers.


End file.
